Girls In Stem

Experience Reflection:

1) How did this experience assist you in identifying your goals and developing areas of growth?

  This experience assisted me in identifying my goals by allowing me to explore my passion for science within a team setting. It provided a hands-on application of chemistry, helping me better understand the subject and potentially guiding my academic and career goals.

2) What challenges did you have in this experience? Which skills did you develop?

   Challenges included difficulty in getting the chemical proportions right for the elephant toothpaste reaction. This required us to use our problem-solving skills, adaptability, and to develop an understanding of the scientific methods involved. The need for repeated attempts developed my resilience and patience.

3) What did you learn by initiating your CAS experience/project that you can use again?

  Initiating this CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) experience taught me the importance of perseverance and the value of trial and error. I can almost certainly use this knowledge in future projects, since it helped me understand that initial failures are part of the learning process.

4) How did you show commitment and perseverance? In what ways did you gain skills?

   I think my commitment was evident in my repeated attempts despite the initial failures. Perseverance was shown through my continuous efforts to start the reaction. This commitment helped me gain practical skills in managing setbacks and learning from mistakes.

5) In what ways did you gain skills of working collaboratively?

   Working as a team in the Girls In Stem club showcased my collaborative skills. The experiment required coordination, communication, and cooperation to overcome the challenges we faced. These experiences enhanced my ability to work effectively with others, a crucial skill that I hope will help me in various future personal and professional settings.

6) Which issues of global significance are you engaged with in making decisions and taking actions?

   While the primary focus was on scientific experimentation, we had an ethical concern about environmental harm which demonstrated awareness of global issues. Being conscious of the potential impact of my actions on the environment is an essential aspect of responsible scientific inquiry.

7) How are you recognizing and considering the ethics of choices and actions in this experience?

  We addressed the ethical concerns by conducting the experiment in a controlled environment on cement and cleaning up afterward. This demonstrated a conscious approach to scientific exploration,  since we considered the potential impact of our actions and took steps to mitigate any harm.

Overall, this experience has not only deepened my scientific understanding but also honed various skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and ethical decision-making, which will be valuable to me in both academic and real-world contexts.